The enemy of my enemy
by tyrannosaurus lex. luthor
Summary: When Darth Jadus escapes custody to seek revenge, Cipher Nine vows to stop him, even if it meant following him to the depths of hell... Hell wasn't available. He instead tracks him down the Republic world of... Coruscant. There, the agent must form an unexpected alliance... An alliance, that just might turn into something...More... MaleAgentxFemKnight. You better be interested now.
1. Prologue: (New prologue)

Author's Note: **HEY YOU! YEAH, I'M TALKING TO YOU, BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO SKIP THIS AUTHOR'S NOTE, STOP! STOP RIGHT NOW! READ THIS, AND DON'T YOU DARE SKIP THIS, FOR YOUR OWN SAKE: **This is an entirely new chapter! The original prologue was edited and split in two for the sake of the plot, the first half was made chapter 1, and the other was made Chapter 3. So this prologue and chapter 2 are entirely new! And those of you who already read the original Prologue, don't even think about skipping chapter 1 and 3 because, I made some changes and edits, and you'll miss a lot of things important to the plot. So please, bare with me. I need you to read EVERY chapter, from beginning to end, so you don't miss anything.

End of Author's Note:

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><p>-24 years ago-<p>

Three men stood in a dark room, silently, their triangular formation giving them an opportunity to inspect each other in caution. The one to the left was garbed in a brown, hooded cloak, and though the hood covered his features with it's shadow, some of his brown hair was left uncovered. The man to the right was dressed similarly, however, his cloak was a deep red and though hooded, wore a fitted helmet to completely obscure his every aspect. The one in the center of the triangle stood with no cloak, having nothing to hide. Though he too wore a tightfitting helmet that matched his armor, his identity was no secret.

His name was Darth Jadus.

A brief stand-off took place, the silence hanging in the air. Finally, the one with the brown cloak spoke up, tired of silence. They were wasting time, doing nothing. Valuable time, though irrelevant now, would mean life or death in a few years. "Jadus," he began, his voice surprisingly young for a Dark Council member. "I trust everything is going smoothly?"

Jadus, though not showing it, was frustrated. "For the most part, all is well. However, a trio of Intelligence agents have me wary. The first is blindly loyal—though a possible threat, he will be an invaluable asset. The second is indeed a threat, but his ideas and theories are so far fetched his superiors will think him insane. The third however... The third has become a nuisance." He said irritably. "He now works independently, and continues to grow suspicions. I fear he may be... Influential to the other two. We must set phase one in motion."

"He shouldn't be a problem." The one on the right said. His voice appeared emotionless and detached, yet still carried command and authority. "Intelligence's best operative or not, he is expendable. We should be conscerned about the affairs of our colleges. Darth Vowrawn refused my proposal, as did Darth Vengean, calling us madmen. His apprentice, Lord Baras, has agreed to not interfere, however he refuses us aid. Furthermore, keeping our colleges in the dark may prove... Difficult. They grow restless, demanding to know why many of our stock piled supplies dwindle. Diverting their suspicions any longer will not be possible, I fear."

"I see..." Said Jadus. "We must hasten our progress."

"Very well then, Jadus. I will contact Darth—

"Don't bother." Jadus interjected. "Her apprentice declared Kaggath yesterday, no one knows her status. We will have to bypass her authority.

"You wish to go over her head _again_? _Surely_ your _joking_? It worked in the past, but this will not go unnoticed—someone will see a _pattern_!"

"Unlikely." The one on the left said, rubbing the stubble on his chin. He wasn't a fan of such cloak and dagger tactics, but it had to be done. The empire was growing restless and their nature autocracy appeard to be failing more and more by the day. "With the war being pulled in so many directions, our peers will be far to indulged in their own tasks to concern themselves in our affairs."

"Are we truly willing to take that risk?" Said the right. "I am a _strategist _and I predict this is destined to _fail_. We faired well against the adversities of old, far better than imagined, but in time... Possibly not today, or tommorow, or even a decade from now, but one day, someone will _find_ the trail and it will lead directly to us!"

"I must say..." Said the one to the left. His words seemed to carry a sense of wistfulness. "I don't always agree with him, but this does have me concerned... The stakes are larger than I could have ever conceived. If what you've foreseen is accurate, then... Everything we've done, everything we've built... It will all be for nothing."

"...Yes, in the end, all that we've done will, for a time, be irrelevant," Jadus began. "But our sacrifice will not be in vain—all will be worth the risk. The empire itself was doomed from the start, but from our own hands we can craft something _better_. Something that will last, with a substantial foundation to build upon. We will break the backs of our enemies and build upon the ashes of old, all while remaining latent Though the effort, loss, and sacrifice will be considerably great, and most of us won't live long in enough to enjoy the fruits of our labor, I have seen a better _future_. Gentlemen... I promise new empire!"

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><p>-24 years ago-<p>

Deuron exited his study. He was on call for fifty-two hours straight at headquarters, there was a mole in Intelligence and he was tasked to find him. Now that he would not be needed for the next two days, he should have been able to get rest. Unfortunately there was always something going wrong. One of the downsides of having power hungry madmen as leaders. He guessed the empire was the city that never slept after all. His wife was still outside, fixing his speeder. Damn he loved her. She was always helping him do the things he was too busy or too lazy to do.

"Daddy…" a voice called.

Deuron turned around to see his son running up to him.

"Hey kid…" He laughed and bent down so his son could jump in his arms.

"You're rarely home…" He complained.

The Father laughed nervously.

"I've been...busy lately. My job requires a lot of time." All true. Unfortunatly he'd never be able tell him what his job actually was.

"But we still have family night tomorrow, right?" The young Chiss asked hopefully.

"Of course!" Deuron exclaimed. "Wouldn't miss it!"

"Good! Because there's a new spy holodrama playing!"

Deuron chuckled at his son as he picked him up and began carrying him around the house.

"New? You saw it a few days ago…"

"I didn't see all of it!" The child said excitedly. "One day I'm going to learn how to be a spy and fight bad guys!"

"I'm sure you will!" Deuron assured, though he was really hoping quite the opposite when suddenly, his holocom buzzed. He sighed, few people knew this frequency. "Here, go to your mommy. Daddy's got to make some calls…"

The young chiss excitedly climbed down his father and began to run towards the door.

Deuron walked back into his study and set the holocom on his desk. Praying it wasn't the Minister requesting another meeting, he answered.

"_Secure transmission established. Morning, Cipher-16." _The man acknowledged.

Well, at least it wasn't the Minister. Not that this was any better. "Skip the formalities Watcher Seven. What's this about?"

_"Straight to the point, then. The Minster tasked me to tell you. We're prepping for an incursion on Talay."_

Deuron froze for a moment...

Then burst into a fit of laughter. "Funny Watcher, funny. I haven't heard you tell a joke in, what, four years?"

_"I'm not joking."_

"Watcher, the Battle of Talay was over_ ten years ago_. We already knew it was a stupid move, why would they want to do it _again_?"

_"Yes, we lost. But even Minder 8 calculated a high chance of victory."_

"Are they _insane_?"

_"Not up for us to decide—"_

"What strategic advantage could we _possibly_ have?" He asked, unconvinced. They, uncluding the Imperial fleet deployed at the first Battle of Talay, would all be dead if Lord Marr hadn't undermined the Dark Council's extravagant decision and withdrawn their forces. "They probably know our tactics, the element of surprise won't be much of a factor because the planet is in the _mid rim_, and... Oh yeah, did I forget to mention it's been over ten years! Their defenses have undoubtedly been rebuilt—if not strengthened!" It was a suicide mission.

_"That's why their sending us in first. You know, infiltration, espionage, assassination. It's in the _job_ description, unless you were too busy with the seduction part to notice the others."_

He smirked, folding his arms over his chest. "Hey, second joke of the day, good for you—"

_"We have our orders."_

"_I_ have a _family_ to take care of."

_"If you actually cared about them, you would do as your told."_

"Are you _threatening_ me?" He growled, balling his fist with a death glare. It was hard to have a stare down on a mini holoprojector, but they'd somehow managed it throughout the years.

_"Of course not. But I am letting you know what's at risk if you continue to resist command. I'm only a watcher, my influence only extends but so far. I've managed to persuade our superiors to let you live, but don't your push your luck."_

"Intelligence would be _dead_ without me. They wouldn't kill their greatest asset."

"_Every imperial is expendable, except for Sith and Moffs. _Including_ you."_

"You have your opinion, I have mine—"

_"It's not opinion. It's fact. Why can't you just accept tha..."_

Deuron noted his parter's unfinished sentence with a puzzled look, before seeing a subtle gesture towards his door. He blinked. Turning around, he found a very curious eye peer from the slightly cracked open door. A small smile formed on his lips when the door suddenly shut and small footsteps faded in the distance.

_"I see he has inherited your curiosity. Do you even _lock_ your doors?"_

The agent turned to find an amused look on the watcher. "Of _course_ I do. _He_ just happened to inherite his mother's _security codes_. I'm going to have to talk to her about that...

_"You do that. We can't have a three year old blabbing about the empire's classified information. Now, prep your gear. Admiral Broysc says we only have until noon next week to infiltrate Talay.."_

The agent once again froze. A sudden anger swelled and he didn't bother to mask his outrage._ "Broysc? **Him**? _He's been put in charge of the incursion? He's the reason we failed the last battle! What is the Dark Council thinking?!"

_"We don't need to know their own reasons. Be ready for departure at sunrise. Watcher Seven, out."_

_"Wait—" _And with that the connection went dead. Deuron picked up the holocom and threw it across the room in a fit of rage. He then took a few deep breaths and began to look over his shoulder. He could hear the sound of his son laughing. He sighed sadly. All he wanted was just take care of his family. How did he it come to this?


	2. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Beginning!

Author's Note: **HEY YOU! YEAH, I'M TALKING TO YOU! I KNOW YOU SKIPPED LAST CHAPTER'S AUTHOR'S NOTE! GO BACK AND READ IT!**

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><p><em>-Present-<em>

_Warmth._

_Joy._

_Embrace._

_Goodbyes._

_Hope._

_Ignorance._

_Disappointment__._

_Emptiness._

_Longing._

_Cognition._

_Reality._

Former Imperial Agent Cipher Nine awakened with a loud gasp. He bolted up right, his breathing labored, his forehead damp. A sharp, burning sensation shot up his spine and he gave a brief cry in pain. A strong hand was placed on his chest, pushing, trying to lay him back down. He batted the arm away from him and moved to his feet, ignoring the protests of his body.

He walked towards the end of the balcony, placing both his crossed arms on the edge, gazing at the rainy sky in front of him with soft and quiet longing. His head looked down at the rain fall. There he stood, under the dark grey and black cloudy night sky, the rain beating down on him.

Lighting shone distantly behind the horizon backing the agent, illuminating the sky as well as his pained face and red eyes. Then the thunder following that finally clasped. The rain drops poured harder on the wet city and on the creatures outside of his stronghold.

It only took a few seconds before the recollection of that day came over him like a wave. He barely remembered anything about him, but he could still see his face. His smile. The same smile he had before his departure that last evening. The last time he ever saw his father. He could still hear him saying, "I'll be back before you can say, 'I forgot you left'!". But he never returned.

He felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He turned to find his comrade and friend Taren behind. Beyond him, kolto containers and medical supplies littered the chamber. "What happened?" The cipher asked, bewildered. He had no recollection of anything in the past 72 hours ago, and that was saying something.

"You don't remember?" The mercenary asked, concerned. "Darth Marr sent us on an operation. We had just taken control of the bridge when someone set the cruiser to self-destruct. We got caught in one of the explosions on our way to the hanger bay. Me, The Wrath, and Nox were fine, but unfortunately you took the brunt of the explosion."

Ah, it was all coming back to him now. The Justicars had somehow commandeered a_Harrower_-class dreadnought, one in Marr's fleet. He and Mako were slicing the system's computers when someone_remotely_ set the dreadnought to self-destruct. Which was odd, considering cruisers _don't do that._ "How long have I been out?"

"... eight days." He said gravely.

"_What_?"

"Eight days. You got pretty banged up by the explosion. Plus, The Wrath kept dropping you on the way to the ship. He's good at killing people, not trying to save them. Nox had just stopped by to check on you about an hour ago. By the way, when you started coming to... You were muttering something, then you started groaning, then you started kicking... Same dream?"

"... Yeah... Same dream."

"You know, i'm pretty sure it's not normal to have the same dream for seven years—"

"Yeah, I know."

"... And the old man still won't say anything?"

_-Flashback in third person view (Author's Note: Wait, that possible? Hmm... Just go with it for now: End of Author's Note), Two years ago-_

Cipher Nine quietly cleaned his rifle as he waited in Keeper's office. The Minister of Intelligence had summoned him, and from the way Kaliyo was so suddenly whisked away to be interviewed at such short notice, this was something important. Speak of the devil. The Minister walked into the office, an Astromech droid trailing just a few meters behind him. The agent stood at attention. Not as a show of respect. Not as proper protocol. It was something he was used to, and he did it unconsciously. To be honost, he was having mixed feelings at the moment. And he found himself constantly resisting the urge to just shoot the man.

"This isn't my office anymore," the Minister began. "But Keeper is occupied and I thought we should talk. It's been a long time, agent."

A small part of him was glad the old man was still alive. If he was still the loyalty-blind operative he was a year ago, there would be some much he would want talk to him about. But he didn't come here for small talk. "The new Minister of Intelligence. You climbed up the ladder pretty fast... Right in time for my physical exam, too. Let me guess, the IX serum was administered during my immunity shot, am I right? You signed off on my brainwashing." He accused.

The Minister hesitated for a brief moment. He obviously hadn't expected that topic to arise so soon... But he didn't object. He instead turned to the astromech. "Remote?"

"SCAN COMPLETE." It replied. "NO LISTENING DEVICES FOUND."

"Broadcast mode. White noise, ten minutes, then leave." He ordered the droid before turning back to the agent. "Yes, I did approve of your programming. I also know you stole our files, and I know you freed yourself."

The agent looked behind the Minister, making sure no one was hidden in the office. He pressed a button on his gauntlet, sealing the doors and powering off all surveillance cameras in a ten meter radius.

He wanted absolute privacy while he lost his shit.

Grabbing the Minister by his collar, he hefted him sharply into the air and slammed him against the wall with minimal effort. "Well, did you know that Ardun Kothe was controlling me?! Did you know I was his puppet?!"

"That was unfortunate and unplanned! The Sith wanted you under control. With the Emperor nowhere to be seen, Darth Jadus is the most powerful Sith on the Dark Council. Every Sith has learned to fear Jadus, and you defeated him—now you've earned not only they're respect, but their fear as well! You survived Darth Jadus, how long before you defied another on the Dark Council? The programming was a safeguard. I did it to protect you."

"So the Council praises me while they punish me? And you let it happen? I trusted you—I trusted you with my life! How could you do this?!"

"Everything I've done has been to protect you!

"For what?" He shot back. "Some promise you made to my mother over ten years ago?

"I promised your mother I'd protect you before she died and dammit, that's a promise I intend to keep! If I hadn't approved of your administration, you'd be dead! I don't plan to tell anyone your free."

"In case you haven't noticed old man, I can take care of myself!"

"For how long? How long, until someone is _faster_ than you, or _smarter_ than you, or _stronger_ than you, hmm? Have you ever thought about that? I do. I think about it every day. I think about how your father's death would go unpunished. How your mother's sacrifices would be in vain. How they lost their lives just to save yours, and it would have been for _nothing_. You're just like your father, you know? No one knew him better than me—not even your mother—and I knew him to be an arrogant, irresponsible, care-free bastard. You could never tell if he did things for the good of the empire or for his conscience. His free thinking and unsubmissive personality is what nearly got him killed on many occasions."

"But it was his compliance and loyalty that finally finished the job, am I right? You were there when he died, weren't you?" His countenance changed. That obviously brought back a few unpleasant memories. It seemed he struck a nerve. It seemed he was right.

"... Yes." He replied regretfully. "I was there."

"You took away my _life_. Maybe I should take away _yours_."

"Go ahead. I estimate you'll have about nine minutes to escape Dromund Kaas. But, should you choose not to sabotage your career, I suggest you put aside you outrage and consider this: The SIS should never have known about the Imperial Brainwashing procedure, let alone posses codes... Ardun Koth's shuttle was found abandoned in space without any data on your "Shadow Arsenal"... And according to our records, there's no evidence of an 'Agent Hunter' ever existing..."

"I know you. You're avoiding the subject. You're _scared_."

"And I know you, agent. You're trying to make me confess something, and calling me a coward won't work. I'm merely showing you the closest thing you'll ever come to the truth. And we both know I'm not afraid to die."

"Closest thing I'll ever get to the truth?! Why is that! Why can't you just tell me the whole truth?!"

"Truth is merely a child's dream! This is war, agent! War is a jungle, and we're at the bottom of the food-chain! Those in the upper echelon of the Empire, Sith, Moffs, they're the only ones with access to the truth! They know everything that goes on in the empire, and they keep it from the rest of us. At our level in this society, _there is no such thing_ as_ truth!_ I wish you would just understand that!"

"No such thing as truth, you say?" He said through gritted teeth. "In that case, why should I believe you?" He didn't answer. And that was the only answer he needed. The Cipher dropped the minister to to his feet. His fingers tunneled his hair and he backed away, shaking his head, trying to deny everything he heard. "Your a spymaster. I always knew you kept secrets. I always knew some things you had to withhold from me. I always knew you couldn't always tell me the whole truth. But this—_this_ crossed the line. I'm done. Done with the Sith, done with intelligence, and done with _you_."

A weighty silence settled between them. The Minister's eyes flashed with sorrow and regret. His lips were moved, but nothing came out. For several minutes he struggled for the right words to say. Struggled to hopefully find something to say that would make everything right again. But there was nothing left to say about it. He resigned himself to discuss the mission. "Agent, someone—your Hunter or his employer—is manipulating this war for his or her own ends. Someone with access to both Republic and Imperial resources. I know I've asked much of you—far too much, but this someone gave Ardun Kothe your keyword. It is imperative we find out who and why."

"You sound like a madman. There's no secret power responsible for this."

"No one thought there was a secret power behind the Eagle's terrorists, either. Fortunately, the trail is still warm. Yesterday, a man fitting Hunter's description boarded a shuttle to the Isen Four asteroid colony. Nine hours ago, we received this message:

The astromech drew near, a displaying a holo-recording of a man-Mirialan, perhaps late thirties, body type four. _"Imperial fleet command, this is Representative Omana Tragg of the Isen Four mining colony. We have been monitoring your victories in this sector. While we continue accepting refugee transports, our defense systems are... Minimal. Our population is ninety percent civilian... We cannot afford a confrontation. Under Republic Law, I am authorized to discuss terms of immediate surrender. All weapons powering down."_With that, the recording ended.

"Our forces will be arriving tomorrow..." The Minister began. "But we don't know if the colony's surrender is related to Hunter's arrival. I want you to investigate."

"You can find as many _distractions_ as you like. I'm not going to forget what you've done."

"No, of course not. I don't expect you to. I won't beg for your forgiveness. But you do need me to find our enemies. When your done, if you still want revenge... I'll be right here.

"There's going to be a reckoning between us, old man. And all of the maneuvering in the _galaxy_ won't _save_ you."

-End of flashback-

"... No..." The Cipher said bitterly. "He'll never talk. I don't even know if he's alive, anyway." Though, there was a rumor that Shara Jenn managed to coil the Dark Council's rage, but they hadn't spoken since the Tenebrous, so he was didn't know. And he didn't care. Or at least, that's what he told himself, ever since that day. That day when everything he thought he knew turned out to be a lie. When the foundation of his beleifs crumbled before him.

The day when he learned the truth.

Or some of it, anyway. He remembered one of the things the minister said to him during their final meeting. _"There's so much I want you to know," _The minister told him._ "So much I wish to tell you... But each of them would get us both dead in the morning... No, the answers you seek must be found by none other than you." _So, by reasons out of his control, he was most likely to live his life ignorant.

Then again, he didn't expect to live very long. Whether at the hand of a Jedi, a merc, or some punk who gets lucky. In the spy game, there is no such thing as escape, victory, or survival. Only delaying the inevitable.

_"Agent, the empire will always take more than you want to give, keep you longer than you want to stay, and take you farther than you want to go. You need to escape while you have the chance." _The minister told him the Black Codex would be a way to elude the... End results of the Empire. However, something seemed... Wrong. The way the Minister seemed to always give him peices to a puzzle and riddles for which he had no answers to... Somehow he felt it went deeper than that. Things like this... They always go deeper.

The mercenary hesitated, as if considering whether to say anything. They were best friends, and he didn't wish to discourage him, but this worried him. "Listen... Agent... I—I know you want answers... But this is hopeless, this is something way over your head! The old man won't talk, there's nothing in the imperial archives, and all information on the black Codex was erased. I'm afraid this search for answers will get you killed one day."

The agent knew Taren was right. He told himself he would have peace and satisfaction once he found the truth, but he also knew this would kill him one day. Perhaps sooner, perhaps later, but he was digging for something that someone—someone powerful—obviously wanted to stay buried. But... He couldn't give up... "I know, but I just can't stop now. I'm getting close, I can feel it in my bones, and whoever wants to keep this from me knows it too."

Taren said nothing, staring at him blankly. A pregnant silence developed between them, both of them waiting for the other to speak... Surprisingly, Taren dropped the subject, walking toward the front of the room and picking up his helmat, tucking it under his arm. "Well, I have to go. Mandalore invited me to a meeting a few days ago, and I asked him to reschedule it to today." He said, turning to leave. "Oh, and by the way, I took the liberty of overriding your security measures. Your staying locked up for a few days until you fully recover—and if I find out you left, I'm going ask Kaliyo how to shoot an Electro Dart up your ass." With that, he left the room and the door locked behind him.

However, as soon as Taren left the agent immediately prepped his gear to leave. He had an appointment...


	3. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Beginning! P2

Author's Note: Sup peoples! Just to let y'all know, Taren plays an extremely important part in this this story, so I've reserved a couple of chapters for him. Enjoy!

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><p>-Flashback, two years ago-<p>

"So, your still alive, huh?" A voice commented, sounding both shocked and annoyed. You might be worth killing after all... Hurry up and let me out of here; so we can finish this once and for all. Unless the mere thought of facing me as an equal frightens you..."

Taren Skirata retracted his vibro-blade, which was currently embedded in a Republic Warden's chest, and turned his head to the direction of that _wretched_ voice. Tarro Blood sat in a small cell, his arms folded behind his head, laying upright against the cell wall. After making sure the guards were dead, he unsealed his helmet and took it off, slowly stalking toward the cell with Mako in tow. "You've _never_ been my equal." He bit harshly, his eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. He stared daggers at his rival, whom simply glared back with a smug glare of his own. "Besides, I kinda like seeing you like this. The cell _suits_ you. Really brings out the scumbag."

Tarro turned to Mako, grinning, abviously amused at how the young cyborb was currently seething. Then he turned back to the hunter. "Of course... Someone like you could never dream of defeating me. All you can do is ogle, and watch from the side like an insignificant bystander."

He was trying to get under the hunter's skin. Two can play at that game. Taren answered with a smug grin of his own, lightly tapping on the red sheild ray currently holding Tarro in his prison. "At least I'm ogling on the _right_ side of the energy shield."

Realizing his goading wasn't doing him any good, he slightly changed tactics. "So, your a _coward_? Is that it? C'mon, _surprise_ me. Open this cell and face me like the so called warrior this galaxy seems to think you are."

Taren crossed his arms over his chest, not persuaded in the slightest. "What's the fun in that? I want to hear ya _beg_."

"Hmph. Figures, you are a low life." Tarro said, not willing to let his pride. Then, realizing he was fucked anyway, said with an aggrivated sigh, "Fine, I'm _begging_ you, I can't _die_ like this! _Please!"_

Taren hummed, stroking his lightly trimmed beard, as if mulling it over. It's not every day your worst enemy, who gladly dragged you through hell with your back turned instead of giving you a fair fight, was practically on his knees; begging you to give him the honorable battle he didn't have the guts to give you. With Tarro arrogantly showing off his own victories and achievements for so long, the mercenary felt it fitting to gloat for whatever _precious_ time they had left to spend together. "Hmm... I think I'll leave you in there..."

Tarro obviously didn't like that. "I _challenge_ you! I _demand_ we settle this... It's what Soongh would have wanted. It's what _Braden_ would have wanted."

Screw seething, Mako was fuming. "Braden would have wanted you _just_ how you are! You don't deserve a warrior's death, scumbag." She vented before turning to her leader. "Let's leave him. Let him die when the ship gets ripped to peices."

Ok... That was... He'd never heard Mako say something so dark... It was... Scary. Understandable, from what that bastard put her through; murdering the only people she cared about and cared about her, but still. Damn. Well, any, aside from being scary, it was a good idea. "Sounds good to me." He said with a shrug.

"No!" Tarro said, in fearful shock and unbelief. "You can't let me die like this! I'm Tarro Blood, you worthless peice of filth! I am the future of the Mandalorians!"

Taren snapped on his helmet, turning around and walking towards the door, Mako following suit. "So long, slimeball." She said with a wave.

"Let me out of here, damn you! You can't do this to me! I'm Tarro Blood! Tarro Blood!" He fumed, outraged, bashing against the ray shield—useless, but he didn't care. This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

Then suddenly, "_Skirata_**!" **Tarro shouted. Taren stopped cold, bewildered. In that one word, all traces of fear seemed... Absent. Tarro spoke with that usual, arrogant voice he learned to know and hate. "I have _very powerful_ friends. You think this is over?! You think you've _won_?! You will _never_ be rid of me. _Never_!"

Normally, Skirata would have passed a remark like that off. Tarro didn't have a chance of surviving. He normally would have thought of it an empty threat. But... It... He couldn't explain it, but that wasn't a bluff. It seemed more like a warning... A promise...

-End of Flashback-

"Tarren?"

The mercenary immediately snapped out of his daze. Sitting up from his laid back position, he turned to find Gault and Torian staring down at him with confused expressions. "What?" Taren grunted, completely oblivious of his previous state.

Torian and Gault looked at each other, shrugged, then looked back at their leader. "...We just got out of hyperspace a few minutes ago," Torian answered first, scratching the back of his head. "But—"

"But, the kid's just paranoid. He thinks something is wrong and since our arguing— which I was winning, if I might add—"

"What are you talking about—everyone agreed with me—"

"Pipe down kid. As I was saying, our arguing wasn't getting anywhere and Mako told us to get you." Gault finished with a glare to the young Mandolorian.

Before they got into another fight, Taren piped up. "And what, exactly, is wrong?"

Torian motioned him to go topside. "You may want to see for yourself."

Taren sighed, getting to his feet and tucking his helmet under his arm. The three of them walked into the cockpit, where the rest of the team was. Torian and Gault took their usual seats while Taren stood behind the galaxy map, starring at the larger vessel in front of them with interest. "What's the problem?" He asked, turning to Mako.

"Well... Nothing really... But something's not right."

"That doesn't mean something's wrong!" Gault defended.

Torian rolled his eyes, and thankfully chose to ignore that. "We tried contacting them while in hyperspace. No reply."

"Mandalore won't even answer his personal holocom." Mako finished. She stood, walking towards the mercenary and handing him her datapad. "This is their contact record."

"You _hacked_ Mandalore's-"

"Just read it before you start yelling. You'll thank me."

Taren grunted before staring down at the datapad, wondering how he would explain to Mandalore why his crew hacked their system, when he suddenly noticed something on the list and querked a brow. "They haven't received or sent any calls in days." Mandalore was a busy man. If he wasn't on a hunt, he was discussing future plans with fellow warriors or with bounty contractors. And, from what could be seen, he was doing none of the three.

"Exactly. Not only that, but I checked the holonet, and Mandalore had a contract to hunt down a Kingpin on Nar Shadaa a few days ago. From what I can tell, his employer is pissed."

"He never completed the contract." Skirata finished, nodding his head in understanding. He walked to the front of the ship. The Spirit of Vengeance sat motionless in the cold of space, with no indication of occupants. The shields, the engines, the communications array, the weapons system—everything was down. The exterior showed signs of old repairs, obviously it hadn't seen much action recently, so nothing was _damaged_; just powered off.

"So... They've just been sitting there?"

"...Yes, and no. We received a password protected message from an unidentified terminal somewhere on the ship." Seeing Taren's raised brow, she explained with shrug "My specialties are slicing data and bypassing firewalls in tech security. Passcodes, however, are entirely different. They can't be accessed by simply hacking it. It requires the password used to protect it, or the terminal used to send it."

Why would Mandalore send him an encrypted message they couldn't access? Skirata thoughtfully rubbed his chin, turning to Gault. "I'm with Cadera on this one, somethings definatly wrong." He then turned to Mako. "Take us to the hanger—"

"Scanners are picking up a shuttle leaving the hanger bay." Mako interrupted.

"Told ya the kid's just bein paranoid!" Gualt sneered.

A light-blue ship sailed out of the Spirit of Vengence's hanger and stopped abruptly, still close the the Hanger's ray shield. It was a shape similar to that of the _D5-MANTIS_, with more mass, only two wings, a bit of a sleeker form, and appearently more armament_. _Everyone one relaxed a bit when they saw it was a mandalorian vessel. Everyone except Taren, who eyed the ship with distrust. "Cadera, keep the shields up and the weapons ready until we can get an ID conformation," Skirata ordered.

"...Taren, that ship's Mando transport, I don't think—"

"It wasn't a question." Taren interrupted. "Mako, bring us within transmission range and open a channel as soon as you do." The ship's Long Distance Communication was down, due to the damage done in a space battle a week prior, which meant for now, closer proximity was required for transmissions. The bulky form of the _D5-MANTIS _began closing some distance between the two ships until they get close enough for their communication equipment to cut through the background radiation. Eventually they come within range of the blue ship. "Hail them."

"I already tried, they're not recieving."

"Than hack their feed."

"I'm trying, but they're blocking me!"

Suddenly, a second ship came into view, exiting the hanger and stopping beside the first. This ship was grey and black, a slim exterior, fewer but more powerful weapons, and bore a mark that would unexpected from a vessel exiting a Mandalorian flagship. This ship was _Imperial_. Mako looked back and forth between the scanners and the ship, a question evident on her face as she muttered with a puzzled tone... "T-that ship wasn't... That ship _isn't_ on the scanners! And it's already about to enter hyperspace!"

"Boss, we're getting locked onto by those friends of yours!" Gault announced, worried.

"The Transport?" Torian asked, confused. "Why are they locking onto to us?!"

"For target practice, dumbass—now can we please get our collective butts out of here?!" Gualt snapped.

"Getting our collective butts out of here now." Came Taren's sacastic reply as he took his Captain's chair and grabbed the ship's manual controls, turning the ship for evasive action when the slighlty larger ship fired a hail of death at them. As the deadly energy bolts and torpedoes chased after them, all in the cockpit watched as their leader expertly maneuvered the ship for several minutes. Then the firing stopped.

As the D5-MANTIS turned back to it's attacker, both the transport and the Imperial ship were both ready to enter hyperspace. "Cadera, get a lock on those engines—"

Too late. The Imperial ship had already jumped before he could finish, and by the time the D5-MANTIS fired it's first shot of torpedos, the transport turned smoothly before accelerating forward and disappearing from site.

Taren slammed his fist against the chair's armrest and cursed under his breathe. "Did anyone manage to get a lock on their destination?"

"I did." Said Gault, surprisingly. "But I'm not telling until you agree to me getting a raize—"

"Rennow..." Taren warned with a glare.

"Okay okay, fine. Jeez, nobody can take joke. That Imperial ship is headed to Hoth and that transport appears to be headed for..." Gault took a closer look at the hyper-route information and scratched the back of his head. "...That can't be right..." He then looked between the rest of the crew members. "Did anyone replace the old hyper-route scanners?"

Everyone looked at Taren. "Hey, I'm the goddamn captain of this ship! Replacing scanners isn't my job!"

Everyone looked at Mako. "I was giving Blizz some tips on engine repairs that I found on the holonet. I asked Torian of he could do it."

Everyone turned to Torian. "You all know I suck at installing new tech! That's why I'm in charge of _weapons_, remember? I told Skadge to do it."

Everyone turned to Skadge, whom simply shrugged. "I'm worse than the kid. Little guy said he would do it."

Everyone turned to Blizz, who replied that not only did he replace the scanners, but he also made some improvements with his own personal modifications.

"Well then, Blizz, I think you've lost your edge. Because _this_ says that transport is heading for Republic Space—"

KAAAABOOOOOOOOM!

There was a blinding red and yellow light of pure fire and a painful noise for a few seconds. When the crew could see again, there were collective gasps as they took in their new scenery.

"My God..." Taren whispered, shocked beyond belief. "_How_?"


	4. Chapter 1: Welcome to the Beginning! P3

_-Hoth, present-_

_That__ feeling...' _Was all the Chiss could think about when he entered the room.

The Dark Council deemed Jadus too great a threat for normal exile. So, Darth Jadus spent his days utterly shut off from the galaxy. Stuck in handcuffs that severed his connection with the force. Connected to chains that kept him from having _too_ much comfort. Inside an energy shield, in an inescapable room, inside a max security prison made specifically for him, on the icy, barren planet of Hoth.

And yet... That feeling... That sensation of pain and suffering, due to the darkside radiating from the very atmosphere... It was still there. (Author's Note: Yes, I know that's not how the force works. Just bare with me here, I'll explain this later: End of Author's Note)

"Cipher," Jadus assumed, not even bothering to look behind him for confirmation. "Magnificent, isn't it? Outside of my confinements, my power lies—patiently waiting for its master. The moment I am free, it will return to me."

"You and your power won't be re-acquainted for quite some time." agent replied smugly.

"You've come to mock me?"

He strolled around the room, scanning everything; questioning, before answering, "No, no! I was just in the neighborhood and decided to drop by. Nice place you have here. Are you comfortable? Would you like me to bring you a pillow?" Something didn't feel right... The cameras were off, too.

"Tell me, Cipher. Why do you disturb me?"

Alright, enough chit-chat. "You know why I'm here."

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"Cut the crap, Jadus." He snapped. "In less than a month, the Eradicators were simultaneously set to self-destruct, causing a chain of explosions that killed millions. The remnant of Eagle's forces made an alliance with the Justicars, commandeering a _Harrower_-class dreadnought and attacking imperial outposts across the galaxy. Information has been leaked to the SIS, resulting in the apprehension and demise of agents around the galaxy. How did you do it?"

"My dear Cipher, I have been trapped in this _cage_ for _years_. My former colleagues visit me very little, these days. I have no way of partaking in the _planning_ of the empire's troubles. Are you truly implying _I_am the mastermind behind this?"

"Normally, it would seem far fetched. But they could not have taken that vessel without bypassing the system's security—something I doubt even the most seasoned of agents could access—let alone a group of terrorists and republic radicals. It couldn't be done without clearance codes, which is something you have. Besides, you've orchestrated things like this in the shadows before. You're the only person who could pull off something of this scale, aside from Marr I suppose."

"Your accusation is improbable and unprovable."

"You're _planning_ something. I _know_ it."

"I am a Dark Lord of the Sith. For the time being, I will pretend your accusations are correct. Suppose the prior events were indeed orchestrated by me... Suppose I do have something in mind... Suppose my plans are already in motion... Do you honestly think _you_ can stop me?"

He smirked. "You're forgetting who won our _last_ little go-round—"

The Dark Lord stood to his feet and turned to face the agent. His voice still appeared calm and collected, but the Cipher could detect a trace of anger in his voice. "I forget_nothing_. I am eternal. My power is second only to the Emperor himself. I cannot be_contained_, _Cipher_. We both know these restraints can't hold me. Sooner or later I will be _free_."

The Cipher Nine laughed before turning around and walking to the exit. "You look pretty _contained_ to me."

"Not for much longer, thanks to you..." He muttered before calling out, "Over the years, I've had many dreams. Though, you could also call them _visions_."

Nine paused. "Of what?"

"Of us trading places. Me, out there. And you, in here—alone, rotting, forgotten, like everything you've done amounted to nothing. Much like your friend, _Watcher X_... How is he, by the way?"

Cipher Nine ignored the question, and instead continued his path to the exit. "Goodbye, Jadus."

"Agent." He called out. "Power, wealth, a place in my vision. When I ruled the Dark Council, Imperial Intelligence would have had a mandate uncompromised by Sith politics. Imagine a galaxy where you could act with true authority, and fear controlled the populace. Together, we could have made a stronger Empire. You could have been rewarded. You could have been my herald. You still can... My offer still stands."

The agent hesitated, as if considering the offer, then laughed. "My apologies, Jadus. I played the Dark Council's games when and where it suited me, or when Intelligence gave me no choice. But I will _never again _bow to a fool who's only goal is domination, and not the welfare of his own people. Who only wishes to advance his individual notoriety amongst people he doesn't even consider to be his peers, much less his equals. Victory is not merely a body count. No, Jadus, I never once considered joining you. I know the cost of my decision; it will weigh on me eternally, but there was no alternative." With that said, the doors opened, and a group of sentries entered.

The warden patiently awaited him near the door. When the agent finally left the cell, he walked with him down the corridor, escorting him to his ship. "So, what did he say?"

"Nothing." Nine answered. "But I didn't expect him to talk. I'm only here to check on him."

A big shouldered man—obviously Sith from the style of his brown, hooded cloak—walked down the corridor in their direction. He strode purposely and authoritatively, though he didn't seem in a hurry. The corridor wasn't exactly large, and the agent bumped shoulders with him when neither of them showed the courtesy step out of the other's way. The agent turned, not expecting a Sith to apologize, but to get the message across with a slight glare that he wasn't going to do so, either. The other man looked back also, and his hood was pulled back just enough to show something of a grin.

"By the way..." The agent began, turning to regard the warden once again, greeted with a look of disapprovel. "Why are the surveillance cameras off?"

He shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. I was instructed to leave them off for at least a day."

"By who?" Cipher Nine asked suspiciously.

"For some reason, I can't say. What I am allowed say, though, is that he was a Sith. Someone in the Dark Council, actually."

The agent paused for a moment when his commlink buzzed. "One moment." He said the Warden before answering the device. "Skirata? What's the problem, you sound... Woah woah woah, slow down! It sounded almost like you said Mandalore's de... _What_? Your _certain_? Did you actually see him on the flagship... It doesn't matter if he was last sighted on The Spirit of Vengence, he could have left without being noticed—or possibly escaped... A transport _what_? Transports aren't made to even _carry_ that type of firepower... The second ship headed here? _Imperial_?! What kind of ship was it..." He turned to the warden and querked a brow. "That Sith that just walked by, is he the one who told you to turn off surveillance?"

The Warden nodded yes.

"What type of ship does he fly? Or, were you told to keep that confidential as well."

"I believe I'm at liberty to tell you that. He owns a Fury-Class Interceptor." The Warden answered puzzled. "Is there a problem?"

Nine froze. "Goddammit!" He shouted, before speaking into his commlink again. "Skirata, get here now! I'll send you my location. Ignoring the Warden's question, he instead spun around and zipped down the corridor towards the cell. "Open the door." He ordered the guard.

"Sir?"

"Open it now!" He snapped. The guard reluctantly complied. When the doors opened, the guards froze, shocked. The agent, however was not surprised.

The three out of four of the sentries that had entered less than a minute ago lay dead on the floor. Jadus had the last living sentry by the throat, suspended in mid-air, slowly have his life essence drained. When the Dark Lord was content, he threw the now lifeless body away with no remorse.

The Cipher also noted the Sith he'd seen a barely a minute prior standing by the energy cell's control panel.

"Cipher. I'm glad you didn't leave without me..." Said Jadus.

The other Sith turned to Jadus and asked, "Shall I deal with them or you?"

"Allow me," Came Jadus' reply. The two guards finally overcame their shock and raised their rifles at Jadus. However, with Jadus' simple wave of the hand, the first guard was thrown out of the room. Jadus then used the force to lift the second guard into the air. As he was floating, his body began to wriggle and twitch uncontrollably. Then Jadus closed his hand, and the guard's body instantly imploded as it was crushed by the Force. "It's been far too long since I've done this."

"Very well then. We will meet at the intended destination once everything is in order."

Cipher Nine unslung his rifle and aimed it directly at Jadus. "What makes you think either of you are leaving?" The hooded Sith didn't even appear to acknowledge him. He held his hands behind his back and strutted right by the agent, purposely bumping against his chest and continued walking, his back turned him.

Nine whipped out his side arm with his left hand and pressed barrel of the blaster pistol against his head, while keeping his rifle aimed at Jadus with his right. "I said, what makes you think either of you are leaving? He repeated.

The Sith stood still. His voice wasn't emotionless like Jadus, but he didn't seem alarmed in the slightest. "I have what you desire most." Nine recognized it as both a statement and a threat.

He paused, his pistol still pressed trained on the Sith. Then with a defeated sigh, holstered his sidearm and watched as the man left without a care in the world. He would have fired, but he didn't want to get on the Dark Council's bad side (again), and wasn't even prepared to take one Sith—let alone two. He then drew his attention back to Jadus, who seemed to be admiring the work he did on the guards. "What do you want?" Nine's voice was cutting, gaining the Dark Lord's attention as he turned to regard him with something like a laugh.

"Control, but you're perfectly aware of that. What I want with you is something else... You see, you have once again robbed me of what is rightfully mine. Your interference will not be tolerated. You are very... Irritating, if only because you have often won. Small skirmishes to be sure, but _you _have won them." Jadus spoke calmly, regarding the one before him with consideration.

_'Once again?' What does he mean by 'once again?' _"I'm very flattered. Now get back in your cage." The agent maintained the gruffness and authority in his voice.

"Ah, but you aren't hearing me, you have won against me, Darth Jadus. A mere agent, and yet you run against what some consider to be gods, what you could have done under my control... The thought is honestly rather appealing. Unfortunately, you're far to stubborn to accept my offer. Perhaps the IX serum might prove useful again..."

"Over my dead body." He only had some of his gear. His most useful gear had to be left on his ship, for security reasons. He wouldn't able to afford a full fight, though hopefully Jadus wouldn't know that.

"I would honestly love to accommodate you. However, you are far too valuable to my plans."

Before Jadus could finish, Nine threw a frag-grenade. Jadus ducked out of the way calmly, but he wasn't fast enough to evade the explosion behind him. A metal beam from the floor exploded into splinters of shrapnel that ballooned in every direction. Nine he dove to cover, rolling and immediately beginning to move. Jadus, completely protected from the shrapnel by his armor, was just as fast; his energy was near infinite and the force lighting he was able to fire would continue until it struck. There was no survival in holding still. Jadus focused on him as if glaring, and snapped forward, his fists shrouded in lighting. Nine barely managed to duck the blow. With a fluid-like motion the agent managed to slam a fist up into the Jadus' chin, hard enough to break bone, and he was suddenly extremely thankful he upgraded his gauntlets. And Taren said reinforced gauntlets would be useless...

Well, he was right, they were pretty much useless, but this was a special occasion. Jadus seldom fought another, since he usually relied on the works of others, and even then never by hand. Although with his followers dead or in a mental hospital he would have to take it upon himself, with this task there was no room for error. Nine realized then that he really wasn't trying to kill him. The realization gave him an edge, if Jadus was really not trying to cripple him, he expected many forms of restraint. His black-booted foot slammed into Jadus' gut, rolling backwards out of range at the retaliatory swing. He got to his feet, only to be caught by what felt like a fist, but he knew it was charged force push, sending him flying back. He rolled when he touched ground, throwing two more grenades as well as a few smoke grenades as he regained his footing.

He had already been injured a few nights prior, but now, that meant nothing now. He refused to lose at the hand of Jadus, but he couldn't win with only a mere few weapons, so his only option was escape. Jadus cried out as the grenades exploded. The added smoke would hang in the air longer, meaning the Cipher would be difficult see, something that he would use to his advantage. When the smoke suddenly parted to the edge of the room, Nine was nowhere to be found. Jadus looked around calmly. He had time; his opponent could not have gone far. He used the force to lift a dead guards vibro-sword in the air and bring it toward him. He grasped the hilt, testing the weapons weight, giving it a quick swing. He hadn't used a weapon like this since his training.

"Don't take take this personally, agent; in fact, you should feel truly honored by my offer after what you've done. Can I not grant you your deepest desires? Can I not give you what you deserve for your years of service to the empire? Tell me, why do you oppose me? Because your doing what you think is right? Because your not. I'm offering you a chance to cleanse the empire! Where others fell short, we will rise! You would not be a servant... No, with a mind like yours, you could be far greater. My herald."

However, the agent had already bolted out the room, zipping down the corridors until he finally reached the control room. Sentries and watchmen were already making their way to Jadus, but he knew they wouldn't do very much. He quickly shoved a one of the surveillance officers away from the main computer. Standing in front of the console, he inserted a small disk—which carried a virus created by the Black Codex—and was instantly given full control of the prison. He sealed all the doors, trapping the Dark Lord inside the containment room. Content that Jadus wouldn't be getting out soon, he opted to send a distress call and details to Imperial Outposts in the region, his fingers moving like lightning across the computer keyboard until the message was complete. However, a sudden realization dawned on him before he could send the message._Wait a minute... Couldn't Jadus teleport during our last confrontation?_

His question was answered when he felt a sudden grip on him and was yanked backward to the end of the room, banging against the wall with a load thud. When he finally got to his feet, he saw Jadus standing just ten meters away from him. "Don't blink, or else." Jadus warned. However, the protesting of his ribs caused the agent to involuntarily wince, and when he looked back in the dark Lord's direction, they were suddenly standing face-to-face, Jadus barely even two feet away from him. _Fuck__teleportation_, the Cipher thought bitterly. "You know agent," Jadus began. "I have the sudden urge to kill you now. And you've given me an astounding amount of reasons to."

"Here's another one." Nine quickly produced a vibro-knife and lunged. Jadus merely batted his arm away and fiercely back-handed him the face. However, Nine quickly saw an opening and swept Jadus' leg away, knocking him on his back. He took the opportunity bolt away, only for Jadus to teleport in front of him and stop him cold with a powerful punch to the gut, before flinging him toward the room's center "Its time to bring this farce to a close." With that, he used the force to crack the pavement, and he lifted three extremely large chunks of metal (near the size of boulders) and launched them at the agent. Nine barreled to his left, avoiding the first. His hand reached for a thermal detonator and he hurled it at the second, pulling out his M500 Elite Stealth Enforcer blaster pistol and shooting the det on impact. The explosion shattered the metal into thousands shrapnel shards, flying in all directions. He turned his head and quickly moved his arms up to shield his face. However Jadus' last projectile caught him off guard, a direct hit that sent him flying into the wall. He felt a few bones crack from the impact, and he dropped to his hands and knees. He attempted to stand, but his arms gave way and he fell on his face. Jadus sneered at him, walking forward calmly, hands once more behind his back. Jadus lifted him in the air, flipped him over so that he was now facing up, and slammed him back down.

Nine felt blackness encroach on his world. He lay there on his back, staring up at the ceiling, watching the eyeless mask lean over him, staring deeply into his red eyes calmly. "H...How did you do it?" Nine managed to finally choke out, coughing up blood in the process.

"Soon, agent. Soon. You will find the answers you seek in due time. This, however, is your last chance. Join me willingly, and I will give you everything you could possibly desire."

"I'll kill you." The agent muttered darkly through gritted teeth. "I swear on my life, even if I have to go through hell itself, I _will kill you_."

"No. You won't. Someone else, yes, but not you. I have foreseen it. But for now though? Let us continue our game."

The agent's vision blurred, his ears rang, the world began spinning around him. "Game... What? You... Want to play a game?!"

"Oh, I assure you, we've been playing for longer than you know. Until next time, agent. And welcome to the Beginning!"

Then everything went black...

* * *

><p>-<em>Later<em>-

Cipher Nine awoke to the smell of smock and ashes. He slowly opened his eyes, hoping it wasn't what he thought it was...

The entire facility was burning. Computers, equipment, guards, everything was engulfed in flame. He tried to move, but a large piece of debri from the ceiling had him trapped. After a few seconds it dawned on him that the debri was carefully selected and positioned. It was large and heavy, but two other chuncks kept it from crushing him. He would have been easily crushed if the chunks had fallen full speed, but it didn't, indicating someone had to intercept it from crushing him and carefully place it. Jadus really did want him alive.

He attempted to wriggle free, but the sudden pain shooting through his body on each try stopped him cold. He could try a detonator to shatter the debri. Of course, that would take most of his body with it... The entire place was going down.

Sometimes he hated being right...

"Shit!" Said a familiar, baritone voice in the distance. It was slightly drowned out by the roaring of the flames, but it could still be heard. "This is definitely where we got the signal. Mako, Rennow, check for survivors! Skadge, move some of this debri out of the way. Cadera, help me put these flames out! Blizz... See what you can salvage from the wreckage... Might as well get what we can..."

*COUGH* *COUGH* "Skirata!" Cipher Nine called out, covering his face to avoid inhaling as much smoke as possible. "Over here!"

"That's him guys. _K'oyacyi, vod!" -Hang on, mate!- _After several minutes of moving wreckage, they finally made it to the agents position and removed the debri on top of him. "_Su cuy'gar, Ner vod?" -_So your still alive, my friend?- He asked as he pulled the agent up to his feet and helped him walk.

"Will you stop speaking in mando? I have no idea what you're saying."

"Sorry, force of habit... So, mind telling me what happened here? I had just cornered my bounty when I got your distress call."

"I'll explain later. Right now I need to get to my ship."

"Umm... Ship's gone..."

"What?"

"Your ships gone. My guess is whoever did this took your ship and used the cannon to bring this place down."

His mind raced to think of a reason why, when suddenly a flood of realization swept over him. He'd been played. "Son of a... Contact Marr!

"Huh?" The mercenary asked with a baffled tone.

"I'm Cipher Nine. I may be a ghost, but The Minister made ways of providing me... Special privileges, before he was removed. All I need is to submit an identification code, and I can go to any Imperial world in the galaxy. A normal shuttle would have to go through many more security measures. Jadus could have escaped anytime, but he wouldn't have gotten very far. And now Jadus has weapons, _my_ weapons, we need to contact Marr before he get's too far!"

This troubled him. Jadus was catastrophic on his own, but with his gear—the extent of damage would be unimaginable! As if reading his thoughts, Taren said with a confused expression, " I wouldn't worry about that..." And pointed to their left. The Cipher looked at the direction Taren was looking to find... Gear... His gear—all of it—laid out on the ground. "I swear, you have the weirdest enemies! First; the guy you were chasing around the galaxy turned out to be just a pawn, then your real enemy turned out to be your boss, then your worst enemy turned out to be a woman and you two suddenly had some type of weird, confusing romance before she died, then the guy you put behind bars leaves you _alive_ with _all_ of your weapons laid out in front of you—"

"I need you to drop me off at Nar Shadaa." There was a certain someone he needed to see. And to make sure he was still alive...


	5. The Emperor's Vow

Unrestricted power.

Lord Vitiate clenched his fist, truly reveling in the feeling of the force through his fingertips. With every heartbeat, the raw power of the dark side surged through his veins.

It was a good feeling.

Although he was normaly accustomed to the feeling, dispersing your soul, waiting for a host and then entering a deep slumber was very taxing.

Hosts. This host felt... Different. He was resiliant. A small part of his conscious continued to resist. Although all eventually give in to his power, this one seemed a little troublesome. He prefered his former host better. Unfortunatly, his former host's body began to succumb to the effects of the dark side. Though, that didn't matter in the end due to that jedi.

Jedi.

He let that word hang for a moment, replaying their encounter in his mind. That jedi... That woman, wasn't quite like anyone he had faced before. Over the milenia he'd faced many adversaries. His opponents put their trust in their strength and skill and numbers, never understanding that his power surpassed theirs on a scale of ten to one. She, though over-confident, was smart, and chose her decisions wisely. She truly lived up to her exploits and title as The Hero of Tython. Indeed a worthy opponent. Though he had deeply underestimated her, he would admit she won the day.

Won.

The fools. A year has passed and they celebrate his death. They did not grasp that they had won but a skirmish. Their next encounter will be a battle, and he would not underestimate her abilities again. He laughed and sat up from his chamber bed. The fools. He was not only a master of the force, but a conqeror of death!

He froze as a burning pain pulsed from his chest through his entire being—not from his body, but from his soul. He'd never felt fear in his entire existence until now. He instantly knew what the full extent of the jedi's blow had done. She must have put all of her power into one strike. She had not only wounded his body, she also wounded his spirit.

Wounded?

He is Darth Vitiate, the Dark Lord, the Emperor! The souls of billions, the life force of Nathema itself, as well as the stolen power of thousands of sith and jedi, all reside inside of him. He was no longer _mortal_, he was no longer _human_, but a god! A living embodiment of the power of the force! He could not die!

Die

He stopped denying it. Yes... Reality was staring him in the face. He wasn't a fool. He wouldn't ignore it. A year, a century, a milenia—it didn't matter. He could feel his spirit slowly slipping. It was a wound only another ritual could heal. The chances of tricking eight thousand Sith into another ritual weren't likely, and his power was still building back up from his confrontation with the jedi. Though still unimaginably powerful, he wasn't yet strong enough again to perform the ritual on his own. However, he was still unmatched in power. If he died now, his legacy would be all but forgotten. Everything he's done would no longer matter in a few thousand years. He refused to be fortgotten! The galaxy will _burn_ before he allows death to claim him! One way or another, his legacy _will_ continue, of that he swore.

If he was going to die, he'd bring millions with him. He would make a permanent scar on the galaxy.

* * *

><p>Sup peoples! So, my Co said I needed more Sith in this story, and I decided to throw Vitiate into the mix. Which wasn't really very smart on my part, because there are many confusing things about Vitiate. Like whether the Emperor's Hands in the Sith Warrior story said the Emperor was recovering from his fight with the Hero of Tython or whether it was because of what on Voss. And whether he fought The Hero of Tython with his actual body or using a host. I've found plenty of arguments, but not any answers.<p>

Sorry this was so short by the way. But me and my family are moving to Texas in a couple of days, so I haven't had much time to write due to packing and stuff. This was the best I could do at the moment.


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